Method and apparatus for heading screw blanks or the like



Patented May 28, 194()Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEy METHOD AND APPARATUSV FOR HEADING SCREW BLANKS OR THE LIKE Joseph J. Tomalis, Providence, R. I., assignor to American Screw Company, Providence, R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application December 28, 1938, Serial No. 248,107

9 Claims.

5 shaped head and a washer arranged between the head and shank and integral therewith.

In the manufacture of screws or bolts with a hexagon head it is very essential that thehead be accurately formed with the side faces thereof straight and ilat and the corners straight and sharply defined from the bottom to the top of the head. This is necessary to enable a wrench to be accurately tted to the head and prevent it from slipping or spinning around the head in turning the screw. This -requirement of. accuracy is so essential'that users of hexagon head products generally specify and require that the corners of the head shall Aform sharply defined lines from bottom to top of the head. To obtain the required accuracy, manufacturers of hexagon head products quite generally-follow the practice of first heading the bolts or screws and then subjecting them to a trimming or machining Operation longitudinally of the axis to accurately finish the ilat faces and corners thereof.

operation adds greatly to the expense of the prod'- ucts, and since the trimming or machining takes place in a direction parallel to the axis of the screw. or bolt, -such operation is obviously impossible where a washer is formed integral with the hexagon head and shank of the screw or bolt.

Heretofore it has also been found impossible to produce accurate and satisfactoryhexagon the use of complicated and expensive equipment.

'Ihis difficulty `may be explained by the fact that if the exact shape of 'the finished head desired `is duplicated in the depression or cavity of a punch, such as generally used in heading machines, and the punch is used to upset or force into the cavity the necessary amount of metal to form the head, 'a certain amountof air will be trapped inside the punch cavity and compressed 'as the metal lls up the cavity. The air thus ners of the punch cavity to form air pockets, and

in the case of hexagon heads particularly the Such A heads direct from a heading machine without trapped and compressed is forced into the cor' cient pressure t0 cause it to completely ll all corners thereof and produce perfect hexagon heads.

One aim of the present invention is to overcome the manufacturing diiliculties above indicated by `Aproviding small grooves or passages in the punch which are s o located that air trapped in the punch cavity may escape therefrom during the punching operation and not interfere with the formation of the head. Another purpose of the invention is to form such grooves at each corner of the punch cavity which will not only permit escape of air, but also allow a small amount of excess metal to flow into the groove at each corner of the cavity, which excess metal is smoothed or drawn down by the outer Walls of the punch cavity as the blank head is withdrawn therefrom, this smoothing or drawing operation resulting in the formation of a straight sharp corner at each corner o f the head. Machines for the cold heading of blanks are old and Well known, an example of which is shown in U. S. Patent No. 590,576. Since the present invention relates to that type of machines, it is deemed sufficient to show and describe herein only the parts directly affected by the improvements. 'Ihe accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, therefore illustrates the invention as applied to the type of machine mentioned.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view thrcug the movable punch and stationary die assemblies, a rst and second punch being illustrated;

Figure 2 is a vertical view from the front of the lpunch assembly;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the second or finishing punch with the pin or core thereof removed;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 3, looking in the directionv cf the arrows;

-Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4, but showing a slightly modied form of construc- Figure 6 is a longitudinal fragmentary section on an enlarged scale showing the action of the punch in forming the hexagon screw heads; Figure? shows the blank as formed by the first punch, and'Fgure 8 shows the blank as formed by the second punch before it is withdrawn therefrom andthe excess metal at the corners thereof drawn` or smoothed down; andl Figure 9 shows the blank i'n finished' form.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I0 indicates. a stationary die block or anvilsection, usual'in l ciprocating crosshead (not shown) and the lat- .the finished blank from the die. pression IIB is formed on the outer face of the this type of machine, and in which the fixed blank receiving die II is mounted. Aknock-out pin I2 operates through an opening or hole IIA in the die II, in the usual manner, for ejecting A shallow deshallow circumferential ring-shaped recesses or depressions I IC are also formed, for a purpose later explained.

Opposed to the die block and die is a punch holder indicated at I3 carried by the usual reter is suitably operated to present the punches I4 and IS successively to a blank in the die II. In machines of this kind, as shown by the aforementioned patent, means are also provided for cutting off a desired length of wire to form a blank and presenting such wire blank into position opposite the opening in the stationary die I I.

After the wire blank is thus positioned, the first punch I4 is brought forward and the depression IIIA therein surrounds the protruding end of the wire blank which is thus forced into the opening IIA of the stationary die II against the knock-out pin` I2. Further forward motion of the punch I causes the blank to be upset in the die and the punch until it substantially lls the depression IIA resulting in the seminished blank B'shown in Figure 7.

Following the operation of the first punch, the punch holder recedes, moves laterally of the die, and again advances, this time presenting the second or finishing punch I5 to the blank held in the stationary die II.

The finishing punch IS is firmly secured in an opening in the holder I3 and preferably the rear end thereof rests against a thrust plate or plug P tightly fitted in the holder I3. As shown particularly in Figures 1 and 3, the punch IS is provided with a central opening or hole extending longitudinally thereof.v This hole includes a rear or inner portion ISA and a front or outer portion ISB, and surrounding the outer end of this hole is a shallow depression ISC formed in the' face of the punch which cooperates with the depression IIB of the die to form the washer W on the blank, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

The inner portion ISA of said hole is preferably made cylindrical in cross section. The front or outer portion ISBv thereof forms the main punch cavity which is made hexagonal, and the size and cross sectional area of this cavity is the same.

as the size of the hexagon heads which are to be produced. At each corner of this punch cavity I 5B and near the inner end thereof the material of the punch is slightly cut away or relieved to produce small pointed recesses or grooves, as indicated at ISD. These grooves preferably taper toward the forward or outer face of the punch and merge into the corners of the hexagonal cavity at a point somewhat to the rear or inwardly from the outer-depression ISC. In other words; the outer portionV of the punch cavity ISB for some distance back of the depression ISC is made accurately hexagonal, and toward the inner portion thereof the corners are cut away to form the small recesses or grooves ISD. The recesses lI SD may be made generally I triangular in transverse cross section as shown in these recesses or grooves will be more fully explained later.

Mounted in the longitudinal hole in the punch IS is a core or pin I6, and this pin includes a cylindrical portion which has a sliding fit in the cylindrical portion ISA of said hole, and also a` hexagonal portion I SA which closely and accurately fits in the front hexagonal cavity ISB forming part of said hole. The cylindrical portion of the pin I6 is preferably made slightly shorter than the cylindrical portion ISA of the punch so that when the pin is forced rearwardly, a small cavity or space ISE is formed at the base or rear end of the hexagonal portion IGA of the pin. The grooves ISD communicate at their rear ends with this cavity ISE. The hexagonal portion IGA of the core or pin extends outwardly into the hexagonal cavity ISB, and the outer flat end thereof indicated at ISB forms the bottom of the cavity in which the head of the blank is produced. The position of the outer flat end of the pin, or, in other words, the length of the hexagonal portion ISA thereof determines the thickness of the hexagonal head formed on the blank.

Briefly describing the operation, as the second or finishing punch IS is advanced against a semi-finished blank in the die II, the pin I6 is forced back against the thrust plate P, and the outer end ISB of this pin is then in such position that the hexagonal cavity in the punch will be of such depth as to form exactly the' proper thickness of head desired when the metal lls up the punch cavity. As the punch is advanced toward the dieand the metal is upset in the head-forming cavity, the undesirable air trapped within this cavityl is free to escape through the recesses or grooves ISD into the space ISE and will not form air pockets in the punch cavity, so that the metal will ll out all parts and corners of this cavity and thus produce a completely formed head on the blank. At the same time, metal isforced into the depressions I IB and ISC to form the washer W on the blank. In addition, the metal of the blank will be slightly upset 'into the shallow recesses IIC formed in the die, so that the shank of the blank will then have one or more small rings of metal formed thereon. The grooves ISD provided at the corners of the cavity ISB permit escape of air from the' punch cavity, and at the same time they possess another important function. They are large enough to allow some excess metal to flow out into the same, thus producing a hexagon head which adjacent such grooves is somewhat oversize along each corner for a part of the head thickness adjacent the top of the head. This excess metal is illustrated at I1 in Figures 6 and 8 and it forms a projection or enlargement on each corner of the head adjacent the top surface of the head. At this stage the corners of the blank head adjacent the top thereof are also somewhat rounded as illustrated at I'IA 'in said figure (Figure 8), because, as before noted. it is impossible to completely. obviate such rounding. As the punch recedes from the die and the newly formed blank is withdrawn from the punch cavity, there follows a stripping or drawing action effected on the excess metal I1 at the head corners, due to the fact that the outer end of the punch cavity ISB is made exactly hexagonal, as before noted. The result is that the excess metal illustrated at I1 is drawn and smoothed down so that the corners of the'head are made sharp and straight, and the excess metal also aaoassa nils out the rounded portions I1A at the top corners of the head.l

During the stripping or drawing action above `-mentioned the headed blank is securely held in screw blanks which comprises the steps of forcing a metal blank into a hexagonal punch cavthe die Il by friction and by reason of the small rings produced thereon by the 1circumferential recesses IIC in the die. Other means for holding the blank in the die may also be employed if necessary or desirable. After the second punch has receded, Athe headed blank is ejected from the die I'I by the knock-out pin and when thus ejected, the small metal rings on the shank thereof are extruded or stripped back along the shank so that the iinished shank will be smooth and cylindrical for receiving the screw threads.

It is apparent that the mechanism and procedure as heretofore described may be modied in various ways,-and that the invention is not limited to the exact details as described'and illu'strated. v

Having thus described the invention, what 'is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. 'Ihe method, of forming hexagonal heads on sci-ew blanks'or the like comprising forcing a metal blank into a hexagonal cavity in a punch to form a head thereon, said cavity havingv an outer portion made accurately hexagonal in cross section and also having an inner portion, the

` vlatter having a recess or groove extending outwardly from each corner thereof, whereby an enlargement or projection is formed on each corner of the head during the formation. of, the head in the cavity, and lthen withdrawing said head from said cavity through said outer portion thereof, whereby a drawing and stripping action y is exerted on said enlargements to produce straight and sharp corners 'on the head from the bottom to the top-- thereof.

Ail. The method of malnng hexagonal heads on ity having an outer portion of accurate hexagonal form and an inner portion having at each corner a groove or recess extending outwardly from the cavity, upsetting the metal ofthe blank into said cavity and said recessestoform a hexagonal head thereon and to form a projection on each corner thereof as the metal is forced into said cavity and grooves, and withdrawing said headed blank from said cavity through the outer portion thereof to thereby draw and smooth down said proectionsd. andfaccurately form the corners of the '3, A punch for "heading screw blanks or the like, said punch having formed therein -a diev cavity which is hexagonal in cross section, the

hat sides of said cavity extending Parallel with the axis of the pimch, said cavity including an.

outer-portion and an inner portion, said outer .portion having 4the sides and corners thereof arranged to form atrue hexagon in cross section and said inner portiony having a groove at each lcorner adjacent the. inner end thereof and extending laterally outwardly from the main porf tionofthecavity. nt'npunch forheading screwblanks or the hidpunlclihavinitormedthcrdnanjou-` closed die cavity which is hexagonalv in cross section, with the sides thereof arranged parallel to the axis of the punch, said punchy also having a 'plurality of longitudinally extending grooves formed therein, each of said grooves communicat ing with said cavity at one of the inner corners thereof and extending inwardly therefrom, said punch having a recess formed therein rearwardly of said diecavity with which recess the rear end s of said grooves communicate.

5. A punch for forming hexagon heads and integral Iwashexs'on screw blanks or the like, said punch having formed therein a die cavity hexagonal in cross section, with the nat sides threof arranged parallel with the axis of the punch, said punch also having a shallow depression -formed on the outer face thereof surrounding said cavity, said punch also having a longitudi- 'nal recess communicating with said cavity at each inner corner thereof and extending inwardly therefrom.

6. A punch for forming hexagon heads on screw blanks or the like, said punch having formed therein a die cavity hexagonal in cross section with the flat sides thereof arranged parallel with the axis of the punclf ahexagonal core arranged in and closely tting said cavity, the

outer endof said core forming the bottom or extending therethrough, therear or inner portion of said'hole being circular in cross section and -the front or outer portion thereof being hexagonal in cross section, a core mounted in said hole and havingja cylindrical Portion fitting in the inner portion of saidholeand a hexagonal portion iltting in said outer portion thereof, the outer end of said core terminating inwardly from the outer end of said hole, whereby a'. hexagonal cavity is formed in said punch, said punch also having a plurality of grooves therein, each of said grooves communicating at its outer end with said cavity at one of the corners thereof.

9.In apparatus of the kind described, a stationary die, a head formingv punch movable toward and from said die, said die having an opening thereiny to receive and hold the 'shank .of a-screw blank or the like whilethe head is formed thereon, the wall of said' opening hav- `ing a shallow circumferentially extending `re cess formed therein into which metal is adapted to now to form a projection on the shank when the blank is subjected to the action of said when the punch is withdrawn'therefrom, and a knock-out pin to forcesaid blank out ofthe die and smooth down the projection formed on the blankbysaidrecess.

JO BIPBJ..IOIIALIB.

punch, whereby the blank is firmly held in the die A Y 

